Snapshots

Leonard Doss Jr., a native son of San Francisco, comes to his job with a mission: Keep his hometown looking beautiful. He’s part of a small but mighty Public Works graffiti-abatement team that wipes out tens of thousands of tags every year. Despite the steady and often heavy workload, Doss Jr. isn't deterred. He loves his job. To him, spraying over graffiti is “poetry in motion” and coming to work every day is “easy.”

As a carpenter for Public Works, Sheldon Gustafson puts his woodworking skills to good use for facilities and public spaces throughout San Francisco. Much of Gustafson’s work revolves around keeping the public safe: maintaining the Filbert Street Steps so nobody gets hurt, bolstering retaining walls to prevent mudslides and fixing handrails to safeguard people from splinters. Public Works’ Carpenter Shop often takes on some of the most distinctive projects in the City – not just with expert know-how but with rightful pride.

As a truck driver with Public Works’ street repair operation, Fabiola Vega is part of a near-nonstop team effort to repair, maintain and improve San Francisco’s network of hilly roads, commercial corridors and narrow side streets, allowing for smooth and safe travel throughout the City. In many ways, Public Works’ truck drivers work as jack-of-all-trades crews who jump into action whenever called upon. When heavy winter storms sweep through San Francisco leaving behind fallen tree limbs, Vega and others help haul the debris off to clear roadways, sidewalks and public spaces. The team is also instrumental in helping Public Works meet our annual paving goal to keep the roads safe and smooth for people who drive, bike, walk and take transit.

Danielle Chan is a landscape architect with Public Works’ Bureau of Landscape Architecture. The bureau’s work includes parks, playgrounds, streetscapes, master plans, plazas, community gardens, green infrastructure and trails. For the past few years, Chan has been working on the Japantown Peace Plaza Renovation Project, an overhaul of the open space in the cultural heart of the neighborhood. Seeing the project go into construction was a pinch-me moment for her.

Netanili “Nili” Niu, an arborist supervisor with the Public Works Bureau of Urban Forestry, can trace his love for trees back to his childhood in Hawaii. A certified arborist with 30 years of experience, including two decades with Public Works, Niu is part of a team of tree pros who look after the more than 125,000 street trees in San Francisco. Aside from keeping a watchful eye on our many street trees to make sure they grow tall and strong and stay healthy, arborists like Niu also jump into action whenever a storm barrels through San Francisco, leaving downed trees, broken branches and mangled limbs in its wake.

When Patty Solis first joined Public Works more than a decade ago, it was baptism by fire for the architect and urban planner. As the job captain on the seismic upgrade to the historic War Memorial Veterans Building, Solis had to study the various historical drawings to inform the renovation design, bring order to the project and coordinate with consultants. Even 13 years later, the project still holds a cherished place in her heart. As a senior architect and section manager with the Bureau of Architecture, Solis is part of a bureau that helps shape the built environment in San Francisco’s public realm. Public Works architects design libraries, performing arts centers, recreation and parks facilities, police and fire stations, hospitals and neighborhood clinics and a wide range of other projects.

Senior structural engineer Janey Chan is a veteran of public service. She joined Public Works about 12 years ago with a four-year detour at the City’s Department of Building Inspection along the way. Structural engineers like Chan inspect the City’s bridges, retaining walls, public stairways and tunnels to make sure they are structurally sound and safe. They work on earthquake resiliency features for new projects and retrofits of existing structures. And they take on structural work for important infrastructure improvements. Chan was drawn to the work because she wanted to serve the public and contribute to projects that everyone could enjoy.

Brittany Brandon, a general laborer supervisor overseeing the Hot Spots crews for Public Works, grew up with the department. She joined Public Works when she was 18. After working as an apprentice with the department early on, Brandon rose through the ranks over the course of her career with Public Works, from sweeping streets and steam-cleaning alleys in North Beach to supervising cleaning crews assigned to encampment resolutions. A native San Franciscan, Brandon’s frontline work brought the city she loved ever closer.

In celebration of the LGBTQIA+ community, we hear from 10 colleagues about Pride – their personal experiences and reflections, the societal ups and downs and their hopes for the future. Participants: Julie An Laurice Gonzales Myisha Hervey Corey Jackson Aries Martin DeShelia “Nikki” Mixon Erica Ruiz Ian Schneider Sean Scott David Steinberg Interview by: Eric Fura

Carla Short is Public Works’ interim director. A conservationist at heart, Short details her winding career path, from conducting habitat conservation work in West Africa to doing community-based forestry in Connecticut and leading one of the largest and most complex municipal operations in San Francisco. She also reflects on the challenges women still face in the workplace, shares her own anecdotes and highlights the importance of striving to do impactful work.

Rachel Gordon is the director of policy and communications at Public Works. After working for decades as a newspaper reporter covering the City Hall beat, she made the switch to public service. She talks about the similarities between working as a journalist and handling the department’s communications, reflects on her lifetime connections to San Francisco and highlights the importance of talking to people to learn their stories.

DiJaida Durden is the deputy director for Operations at Public Works. Rising up through the ranks as a cement mason in a male-dominated field, Durden had to deal with pushback from her male colleagues and supervisors almost from the start. But despite the many hurdles and challenges, she kept persevering. Durden reflects on a trailblazing journey and talks about the obstacles women face in the workplace.

Julia Laue is the principal architect and bureau manager for the Bureau of Architecture at Public Works. An Oregon native whose initial short-term move to San Francisco ended up stretching into decades, Laue’s love for the City and its spectacular architecture and natural beauty runs deep. But in the traditionally male-dominated profession, there were challenges, too, from enduring catcalls on job sites to getting disrespected by male peers. Laue talks about the need for women to step up and not shy away from being more assertive, shares tips on preparing for a job interview and highlights the importance of showing empathy as a manager.

Jasmine Kaw is a landscape architect with Public Works. With a background in the nonprofit world, Kaw views landscape architecture as a field that can influence the greater good and empower communities. She talks about why she believes leadership transcends job titles and “is in all of us,” recounts the obstacles she faced as a woman in the profession and explains why self-reflection is important.

Jennifer Marquez is the finance manager for Public Works. Having left the Philippines at age 17, she recounts her journey from the hospitality industry to Public Works, details her passion for learning and explains why it’s important to cultivate an environment where her team members feel comfortable disagreeing with her.

Christine Tang is a civil engineer and project manager within the Building, Design and Construction division. She recounts how her recreational online gaming skills during college helped her land an internship with Public Works, reflects on bridging cultures as a Chinese American and talks about the power of tapping into your emotions.

Natasha Reed is an associate engineer with the construction management division in the project controls and assurances group. A former student-athlete in college, Reed reflects on the challenges of studying engineering while growing into a leader on the court, talks about her winding career path — from McDonald’s to the Navy to Public Works — after graduating at the height of the financial crisis and highlights the barriers women of color often face in the workplace.

Jocelle Alberto is the acting IT applications manager for Public Works. Working in a field long dominated by men, Alberto talks about the challenges women can face trying to be heard and taken seriously working in information technology. But through it all, the long-distance runner continues striding toward growth and opportunity.

Laura Tanigawa is the acting bureau manager for the Bureau of Construction Management within the Building, Design and Construction division. Having spent more than 30 years in the industry, Tanigawa talks about why she thinks she has “the best job in the whole city,” shares what she wishes she had known when she first started out and reflects on our purpose in life.

Lesley Wong is the section manager for the hydraulics section within the Bureau of Engineering. From tagging along with her dad to help him replace light fixtures and outlets when she was a little girl to studying with her mom who learned PowerPoint just so she could be a resource, Wong talks about the impact family has had on her – then and now. She highlights the importance of speaking up in the workplace and showing humility as a leader.

DeSheila “Nikki” Mixon is the senior integrated pest management specialist for Public Works. A problem-solver, Mixon is the first person to ever hold the position in the City.She highlights the barriers to female leadership, explains how she uses her accomplishments as a leadership tool to show others what’s possible and talks about her love for the urban outdoors.

Nicole De La Garza is a supervisor for Public Works’ street cleaning team. Proud of her San Francisco roots, De La Garza talks about her winding journey through Public Works, her leadership style and navigating loss.

Robynn Takayama is a grants administrator with the contract admin team at Public Works. Throughout her career, Takayama has sought out justice and followed her gut instinct to identify and solve problems. She talks about the definition of success, why she thinks of leadership as “people math" and how leadership is within each of us -- no matter what role we play. Listen here.

Patty Solis is a senior architect and acting section manager at the Bureau of Architecture. Having spent time both in the private and public sectors, she recounts what drew her to architecture, talks about the impact of seeing women in upper management and reflects on her early career days – sticking up for herself in a work environment that could be a “guys’ club.”

Women Leaders in Public Service - Nicole Cook by sfpublicworks

Fara Perez is an architect with the public utilities section at Public Works’ Bureau of Architecture. Perez reflects on the hurdles and barriers she had to overcome throughout her career as a woman in architecture: Dealing with men who don’t want to take directions from women, tapping on the glass ceiling and raising kids while working long hours. Through it all she drew encouragement from her mother and grew stronger because of the challenges.

Cristina Olea is the Better Market Street project manager for Public Works. With nearly all of her career as an engineer spent with the City, Olea talks about how she picked civil engineering because of her 5th-grade teacher, explains why parents with young kids often face barriers to leadership and details why she often feels like a conductor at work – making beautiful music (in her case infrastructure-improvement projects) with an amazing orchestra of colleagues.

Diana Homsey is the director of resilience and emergency management at Public Works. From her days flying to work in a helicopter as a guide and EMT in Alaska to returning to her deep Bay Area roots as a leader in emergency management, Homsey’s adventurous spirit has been a throughline in her life. She talks about the importance of having female mentors, the crucial role Public Works plays after an emergency and why you can’t always be “Disaster Diana." Listen Here

Tessa Jones is a supervisor with the Street Environmental Services team. Almost 30 years ago she started with Public Works, cleaning the streets of San Francisco and rising up through the ranks. Through it all, she has harnessed her compassion for others to make an impact in people’s lives and leaned on her work ethic to continually raise the bar for herself. Listen here.

Lourdes Garcia is a senior architect section manager at the Bureau of Architecture. After 35 years as an architect, Garcia reflects on the impact her parents and mentors had on her, the barriers women face – from pay inequity to family planning – and the importance of finding your voice. Listen here.

Siobhan Kelly is manager of the University of Public Works. From her early career experiences in retail to her current role overseeing training and development at Public Works, Siobhan explains why it’s important to invest in people, how she leads colleagues and what makes a great supervisor. Listen here.

Black History Month 2022 - Conversation with Natasha Reed and Alaric Degrafinried by sfpublicworks

Join us for a fun and educational presentation about San Francisco's Streetscapes Program. Recorded live September 16, 2021. The webinar will cover: - Overview of the Streetscapes Program - Transbay Folsom Streetscape Improvement Project - Second Street Improvements Project - Harrison Street Improvements Project -Upper Haight Transit Improvement and Pedestrian Realm Project -Upper Market Corridor Safety Improvements Project - 19th Avenue Combined City Project Meet Our Panelists: Paul Barradas Project Manager, Street Resurfacing Program Public Works Carol Huang Project Manager, Streetscape Program Public Works Mike Rieger Deputy Director The East Cut Community Benefit District --- To view the webinar, visit sfpublicworks.org/snapshots-live

Snapshots LIVE! is a live webinar series produced by San Francisco Public Works. Join us for a fun and educational presentation about The 2016 Health and Safety Bond & San Francisco's Health Clinics The webinar will cover: -An overview of the 2016 Health and Safety Bond -The San Francisco Health Network and neighborhood health clinics -The design and build process for health clinics -The impact of health clinics and progress made to-date Meet Our Panelists: Joe Chin Public Health and Safety Bond Program Manager San Francisco Public Works Kathy Jung Director of Facilities and Capital Planning San Francisco Department of Public Health Ignatius Tsang Senior Architect, Healthcare Section Manager San Francisco Public Works To view the full webinar, visit sfpublicworks.org/snapshots-live

San Francisco's Playgrounds Presentation topics included information about: - The history of play - Our current work with playgrounds - The future of play in San Francisco - A construction management perspective Thank you to our panelists: Lizzy Hirsch Parks Teams Studio Lead Bureau of Landscape Architecture San Francisco Public Works Cara Ruppert Project Manager San Francisco Recreation and Parks Marc Macaraeg Resident Engineer Bureau of Construction Management San Francisco Public Works And to our host: Seiji King To watch the webinar, visit: sfpublicworks.org/snapshots-live

Snapshots - Still We Rise: Miguel Hernandez by sfpublicworks

Snapshots: Still We Rise - Olivia Barradas (Minisode) by sfpublicworks

Snapshots: Still We Rise - Cerise Waiter (Minisode) by sfpublicworks

Meet Peter Lau, our superintendent for the Bureau of Street Environmental Services In his time capsule, he talks about resilience in the face of the pandemic and social injustices: from being overseas with his family right before shelter in place orders to leading a team of essential workers.

Tony Esterbrooks is the Urban Design Section Manager with our Landscape Architect division. In his time capsule, he talks about some of the accomplishments his team was able to achieve in service of our City's post-pandemic recovery.

Clinton Otwell works in the Director's Office and is the assistant to the Deputy Director of Finance and Administration. In his time capsule, he talks about the reality and concerns of being miles away from his aging mother during the pandemic and the faith and strength he has found along the way.

Jennifer Cooper and Solange Guillaume are colleagues with our Landscape Architecture division. In their time capsule, they share stories about parenting through the pandemic and share their wonders for the future of the City through the eyes of advocates for public spaces.

Snapshots: Still We Rise is a podcast produced by San Francisco Public Works. This series is part of a digital time capsule that documents the experiences of our employees during the COVID-19 pandemic. Meet Elliot Ryan, a mechanical engineer with our Infrastructure Design & Construction division. In his time capsule, he talks about coping with loss, understanding the process of growth and recognizing our values.

In celebration of Earth Day, we put a spotlight San Francisco's Urban Forest. The webinar covered: The benefits of street trees Our partnership with Friends of the Urban Forest How our department cares for our street trees The future of our urban forest Our panelists: DeShelia (Nikki) Mixon Senior Integrated Pest Management Specialist Bureau of Urban Forestry San Francisco Public Works Nicholas Crawford Assistant Superintendent Bureau of Urban Forestry San Francisco Public Works Dan Flanagan Executive Director Friends of the Urban Forest Jon Swae Contracts & Grant Manager Bureau of Urban Forestry San Francisco Public Works Hosted by: Carla Short Superintendent Bureau of Urban Forestry San Francisco Public Works -- Snapshots LIVE! is a live webinar series produced by San Francisco Public Works. To watch the presentation, visit youtube.com/sfpublicworks

Snapshots: Still We Rise is a podcast produced by San Francisco Public Works. This series is part of a digital time capsule that documents the experiences of our employees during the COVID-19 pandemic. Samuel Chui and Ophelia Lau are best friends, life partners and co-workers here at San Francisco Public Works. In their time capsule, they open up about the difficulties, the lessons and the silver linings of the past year as new parents, public service workers and family members trying to stay apart – together.

Snapshots: Still We Rise is a podcast produced by San Francisco Public Works. This series is part of a digital time capsule that documents the experiences of our employees during the COVID-19 pandemic. Meet Ramses Alvarez with our Community Programs team. In his time capsule, he shares his experiences as a disaster service worker during the COVID-19 pandemic and the impact it has on him as he continues to serve our City.

Snapshots: Still We Rise is a podcast produced by San Francisco Public Works. This series is part of a digital time capsule that documents the experiences of our employees during the COVID-19 pandemic. In this conversation, we meet a pair of friends, Nosakhare (Nosa) Ikponmwonba and Alisha Willis, from our Building Design and Construction division. In their time capsule, they dive deep into the values that helped keep them grounded through the difficult year.

Snapshots: Still We Rise is a podcast produced by San Francisco Public Works. This series is part of a digital time capsule that documents the experiences of our employees during the COVID-19 pandemic. In this conversation, we catch up with Annahita Fallah and Brian Wong, two engineers with our Infrastructure Design and Construction division. In their time capsule, they share thoughts on what being an essential worker means to them and some of the moments that stood out this past year.

Snapshots: Still We Rise is a podcast produced by San Francisco Public Works. This series is part of a digital time capsule that documents the experiences of our employees during the COVID-19 pandemic. Meet Eoanna Goodwin, an architectural associate with our Building Design and Construction division. In her time capsule, she talks about the opportunities she discovered while balancing work and personal time during the year of working remotely.

Snapshots: Still We Rise is a podcast produced by San Francisco Public Works. This series is part of a digital time capsule that documents the experiences of our employees during the COVID-19 pandemic. We hear from Cathal Hennessy, an engineer with our Infrastructure Task Force team. In his time capsule, he opens up about the changing rhythms of family life during the past year.